The Land Rover LR2 is a compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by the British manufacturer Land Rover, both two-wheel and four-wheel drive versions. Sold by the current generation Land Rover LR2 in North America and as the Land Rover LR2 in Europe. It uses a monocoque structure, similar to that of almost all other crossovers in its class, but unlike traditional SUV built body-on-frame designs. The Land Rover LR2 replacement is the Land Rover Discovery Sport, scheduled for sale in 2015.

Land Rover LR2 First Generation (1997-2006)

Market research by the Rover Group in the 1980s suggested that Land Rover to enter the compact SUV market segment. In the 1990’s, the Rover Group had a product development budget and looked for a partner to develop the project, which was codenamed CB40. Rover then-partner Honda declined and chose to build its model CR-V was launched in 1997.

Rover decided to go it alone and CB40, using existing parts and components, as they had done with the Roadster MGF. When BMW took over Rover Group in 1994, the project CB40 found in the capital needed to continue. In December 2007, Autocar reported that the development of conceptual designs and drawings the Land Rover LR2 is featured Hyundai edging, suggesting that a tie up between both manufacturers was being proposed. Toward the end of 1997 The Land Rover LR2 was founded It became the best-selling four-wheel drive model of Europe until 2002 Land Rover LR2 last in North America were sold as a 2005 model.

Land Rover LR2 (L359)

The second generation is called the Land Rover LR2 (Codename L359) debuted at the 2006 British International Motor Show. Although the new model retained the name Freelander in Europe, it was marketed as LR2 in North America (mirroring marketing of the new generation of the third Land Rover Discovery as the LR3). A presentation at the Roof Kensington Gardens was held for journalists featuring celebrity tennis player Maria Sharapova.

The second generation Land Rover LR2 is based on the Ford UCD platform, which itself is based on the Ford C1 platform. The Ford platform upcoming UCD used cars from Volvo. List of all-new engine for Land Rover LR2, featuring transversely-mounted 3.2-liter straight-six engine series Ford SI6, which debuted in the new Volvo S80, and the 2.2-liter DW12 common rail turbodiesel engine, jointly developed by Ford and PSA Peugeot Citroen.

Unlike previous Land Rovers, this car made by the institution Halewood Body & Assembly, near Liverpool, and it was not until 2009 manufactured alongside the Jaguar X-Type. The Land Rover LR2 new areas of higher ground clearance and off-road capabilities that are closer to other Land Rover models. To improve the quality of the interior of the more safety features as standard. The Land Rover LR2 shows a modified version of the Status Response off-road driving as fitted to the Discovery 3 and Range Rover. 4WD system was developed in conjunction with the Haldex and Third generation of the coupling. Vehicles from model year 2009 fitted with a modified design requires active coupling, known as the generation Haldex’s Fourth.

The Land Rover LR2first sold in the US in 2007 as the LR2. The 2008 version is LR2 HSE. The limited run HST added side trim, front Valance, 19-inch wheels. A Ford 3.2 liter inline six-cylinder engine that produces 230 hp (170 kW) standard, with automatic transmission and six-speed and all-wheel drive. In United Kingdom, the standard engine is the Ford 2.2-liter diesel. The TD4 version of the engine produces 150 hp (110 kW) and 160 hp (120 kW), and the SD4 comes with 190 hp (140 kW). Interior appointments include an Alpine 440-watt 14-speaker surround sound audio and options 7-inch touch screen navigation, and newer models can be equipped with a Meridian audio system, which comes with surround sound 17-speaker system with Trifield technology, produces 825 Watts. The Meridian is also equipped with subwoofers and Audyssey MultEQ audio tuning system. And a 5-inch color display screen standard even at the newer entry level model.

An optional cold weather package includes heated front windscreen, heated seats forward two levels of heating and heated windshield washers. The optional lighting package includes bi-Xenon headlights, the adaptive front-lighting, memory for the driver seat, and exterior mirrors and lamps lake.

Land Rover LR2 Marketing

The first generation Land Rover LR2 was used in the 1998 Camel Trophy and participated in the Land Rover G4 Challenge. The car represented a compromise because he did a selection of gear-range, or a difference locking, as found on the larger Land Rover models. This meant that when compared to other Land Rovers, off-road performance was not good.

However, when compared to similar models produced by other manufacturers in the same like the Honda CRV or Toyota RAV4, the first generation Land Rover LR2 was competent off-road featuring features more than six patented including Laird or Intermediate Reduction Drive which proved to be the difference in front and fixed transmission ratio, the VCU or viscous-coupling which turns the different speed rotation of the prop shafts, allowing the spread of torque across it’s self and Hill Descent Control system at the time the performance of the Land Rover range and even the first generation BMW X5, BMW parent company of Rover Group at the beginning of the of this model. The first generation used and Traction Control system and a special ABS version produced by Wabco and modified to help drive off-road situations. The lack of MG Rover K18 and KV6 engines after the end of the production MG Rover led to the Land Rover to discontinue the model on August 31, 2005 in the US and Canada.